The world wide web has provided the possibility of providing useful written, audio, and visual information about a product that is offered for sale, such as real estate, as described in “Automatic Audio Content Creation and Delivery System,” PCT/AU2006/000547, Publication Number WO 2006/116796, to Steven Mitchell, et al, published 9 Nov. 2006 (“the '547 PCT application”). The '547 PCT application describes an information system that takes in information from clients and uses this information to automatically create a useful written description and matching spoken audible electronic signal, and in certain cases a matching visual graphical display, relating to the subject matter to be communicated to users. The information system transmits this information to users using various communications channels, including but not limited to the public telephone system, the internet and various retail (“in-store” or “shop window” based) audio-visual display units. A particular aspect of the '547 PCT application relates to an automated information system that creates useful written descriptions and spoken audio electronic signals relating to real estate assets being offered for sale or lease.
US Patent Application 2008/019845, “System and Method for Generating Advertisements for Use in Broadcast Media, to Charles M. Hengel et al, filed 3 May 2007 (“the '845 application), describes systems and methods for generating advertisements for use in broadcast media. The method comprises receiving an advertisement script at an online system; receiving a selection indicating a voice characteristic; and converting the advertisement script to an audio track using the selected voice characteristic.
Applicants recognized that a better scheme is needed to automatically create audio descriptions, and this solution is provided by the following description.